Friday, May 31, 2013

In my neighborhood, you can’t walk more than a couple of
blocks without finding a few bustling cafés. A good cup of coffee is the morning and
afternoon obsession for most people and this dessert is designed to fire all
the same neurons. If you love coffee and
you love chocolate, Mocha Sherbet is the best of both worlds.

As we all know, David Lebovitz is among the most talented of all ice cream recipe developers. His
recipes are superb and this one is no exception. The jolt of coffee is matched with a depth
charge of fudgy cocoa richness. And although
it has a measure of milk to keep it from being too icy, it’s still fairly slushy, in a good way. It has a sort of fudgesicle vibe, which makes it perfect for a spring or summer cooling down treat.

The preparation couldn’t be any easier. Mix all but the milk in a saucepan, boil for
30 seconds, add the milk and there you have it.
Chill the mixture thoroughly and then let your ice cream machine do all
the work. It’s light and simple but so
satisfying and so easy to make, I’m sure you’ll find a way to put it into your regular
dessert rotation to serve to all your coffee aficionados.

It’s fabulous all by itself but here I serve it with a
dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of spiced and toasted almonds, a super
luxe combination. I like the
introduction of cinnamon to the mix and the crunchy almonds are perfect for the
slushy chocolate. If you start mixing
now, you can have this delicious sherbet by the time the afternoon crowd is
rushing toward your local café.

Bench notes:

- For maximum flavor, I recommend making the coffee very strong. Use your very favorite coffee beans. I went with a dark Peet’s French Roast.

- David gets 50 grams out of 6 tablespoons of
cocoa powder. My scaled cocoa comes to
31 grams. I do fluff it up before
measuring. But cocoa is notoriously hard
to scale consistently, so go with what you prefer.

- Bring the mixture to a full boil to cook out the chalkiness
of the cocoa powder.

- When you’ve churned the sherbet, it’s going to be pretty
slushy but will firm up after a couple of hours in your freezer.

- Always try to pack ice cream or sorbet tightly in an
airtight container and press a piece of plastic into the surface to avoid air
pockets where ice crystals will form.

- David also suggests a recipe for Mocha Freeze: for each
serving put 2 scoops (4 oz) of Mocha Sherbet in a blender with 1/2 cup (4 oz)
very strong coffee or espresso, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 3 ice cubes. Blend
until almost smooth. Pour into a glass and top with whipped cream. Yikes.

For the sherbet, whisk together the coffee, sugar, cocoa
powder and salt in a saucepan. Bring the
mixture to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds,
whisking constantly. Remove from the
heat and stir in the milk. Taste and
adjust for salt. Pour into a container and cool. Cover and chill thoroughly.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the
manufacturer's instructions. Pour into an airtight container, press a piece of
plastic wrap into the surface, cover and place in your freezer to firm up.

For the spiced almonds, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare
a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.

Whisk the egg white until it’s frothy and opaque. Add spices
and salt and whisk to combine. Toss in the sliced almonds and coat evenly.
Sprinkle with sugar and toss to thoroughly coat the nuts. Spread them on the baking sheet in a single
layer. Give them another light dusting of sugar. Toast for about 20 – 25 minutes or
until they are dry and golden.

Serve a couple scoops of sherbet with a dollop of sweetened
whipped cream and a sprinkle of almonds.

Friday, May 24, 2013

At first glance,
this cake seems innocent enough.Nothing
about it screams for attention.But its
plain appearance is somewhat deceptive.The sleek minimalism doesn’t quite convey the quiet deliciousness that
unfolds with each bite.

It all starts with a
plain yogurt cake. But this canvas of simplicity
gets punched up with a light touch of Kahlua simple syrup to make
it a little more interesting. Then comes the filling
and topping. If you don’t care for
buttercream or are interested in a momentary diversion from chocolate, this cream
is one to try. It’s a lovely combination
of sweetened ricotta cheese, cream cheese and whipped cream punctuated with a little spot of rum and vanilla. It’s creamy and
flavorful without being overly heavy or too sweet.

Perfect for an
initmate celebration, this cake has a sort of Italian flair that is rustic and
luscious. And if you’d like to liven up
the platter, you can dress it up with some fresh cherries
or berries for extra bling.

Bench notes:

- Fresh ricotta in
this is fabulous. It doesn't take long to make and it's super delicious.

- If you use commercial ricotta, strain out any excess liquid, if necessary. One of my favorite brands is Bellwether Farms. They also make great creme fraiche.

- Start with softened cream cheese and beat it together with the ricotta just until it combines.
Mixing it for too long will cause it to become thin and runny. It should look a bit gloppy rather than fluffy.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9” x 9" x 2” square pan and line
the bottom with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a separate bowl,
whisk together the oil, sugar, egg and egg yolk and blend thoroughly. Add the yogurt and vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients just until there
are no streaks of flour. Pour the batter
into the prepared pan and tap the bottom of the pan on a work surface a few times to release the air bubbles.

Bake the cake until it's a light golden brown and
springs back when touched or a tester comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.

For the syrup, heat the water and
sugar until dissolved. Add the Kahlua
and set aside.

Strain the ricotta
and beat together with the room temperature cream cheese just until
combined. Do not over mix or it will become thin and runny. Slowly add the heavy
cream. Then add the powdered sugar, rum
and vanilla and beat until thickened like whipped cream.

Lift the cake out of
the pan and remove the parchment paper. Using
a serrated knife, trim all four edges of the cake, preserving its square shape.
Cut the cake in half and, using a pastry
brush, imbibe each half with the Kahlua syrup. Spread half the ricotta cream over one of the
layers. Invert the second layer on top
and slather the remaining ricotta cream over the top surface.

Friday, May 17, 2013

It’s a weekend morning and the coffee is brewing. You’ve got plenty of reading material and
there’s a relaxing quiet that surrounds the morning sunlight. There’s also an incredibly intoxicating aroma
wafting from the oven. It’s freshly
baked rolls and it’s enough to bring anyone out of their slumber to join you at the table.

For something different and a bit more on the wholesome end
of the spectrum for your brunch table, consider these rolls fresh from the
oven. They have a good ratio of whole
wheat flour, some oatmeal and they’re just slightly sweetened with honey and a
touch of molasses. Serve them with
butter and honey or your favorite jam or fruit compote to add another element
of bliss to your weekend.

On another note, I’m going to include metric weights in my
recipes going forward for those who use scales and for my overseas
readers. I hope you find this useful.

Bench notes:

- I use old-fashioned oats rather than “quick” oats in this
recipe.

- Ideal rise temperature for yeast dough is between 80° F - 90° F.

- This dough doesn’t exactly double in size during the first
rise, so use the finger test to determine if it’s ready for the next process. Just press your index finger about 1 1/2 " into the dough. If the indentation stays, the dough has completed the first rise.

- After the first rise, the dough is “punched down” to
release the carbon dioxide and even out the temperature. But rather than punching, gently press the
air out with your fingers.

- To form a roll, take the portion of dough and tuck the
ends under the smooth side. Place seam
side down in the pan.

- Whole wheat flour contains bran, which inhibits
elasticity of the dough, so I like to mix it with a good portion of all-purpose flour to
produce a lighter pastry.

Whole Wheat Honey
Oatmeal Rolls

Makes 12 rolls

1 pkg (1/4 oz; 7 g) active dry yeast

1/4 cup (2 oz; 57 g) lukewarm water

2 oz (4 tablespoons; 57 g) butter

1 cup (8 oz; 227 g) buttermilk

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (3 oz; 85 g) honey

2 tablespoons (1 1/8 oz; 32 g) molasses

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large egg @ room temperature

3/4 cup (2 1/4 oz; 66 g) old-fashioned oats

1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 oz; 177 g) whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups + 3 T (8 1/2 oz; 240 g) all-purpose flour

1 oz (2 tablespoons; 28 g) butter

2 teaspoons (10 g) honey

2 tablespoons (10g) oats

Sprinkle yeast into lukewarm water, whisk and let it sit for 5
minutes.

Melt the butter and whisk in the buttermilk, honey, molasses, salt, cinnamon
and the egg. Whisk in the yeast mixture.
Using a fork, stir in the oats. Add the whole wheat flour and stir to combine. Add 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose
flour. Keep adding flour 1 tablespoon at
a time until the dough is no longer sticky.
Place the dough on the work
surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 – 8 minutes.

Smooth the dough into a round ball and place it in a bowl lightly greased with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free area for 1 – 1 1/2
hours. To test if it’s ready, press your
finger about 1 1/2" into the dough. If it holds the
indentation, it's ready.

Grease a 9” x 3” cake pan.
Gently press down the dough and place it on a work surface. Using a bench scraper or a knife, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Take each piece and form a ball. Place 9 rolls around the
perimeter of the pan and 3 rolls in the center.
Set in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350° F.

Melt 1 oz of butter with 2 teaspoons of honey. Brush half of it over the tops of the rolls
and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of oats.
Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake until rolls are golden
brown, about 25 - 28 minutes. Remove
from the pan and brush generously with remaining melted butter and honey
mixture. Cool on a rack.

Friday, May 10, 2013

If you happen to have the luck of a few extra lemons in your
kitchen, I’m here to give you some ideas. One of my favorite things in the
whole universe of fabulous desserts is lemon mousse. It’s light and creamy and full of the tart pucker
of lemon. In my book, it’s among the best of luxurious indulgences. It’s also pretty
easy to prepare.

Instead of serving lemon mousse on its own, I dollop it in a
tart shell to introduce some texture.
The tart shell has a little taste of almond and the dough is one of
those easy mixes done in a food processor and then pressed into the tart pans rather
than rolled out.

The lemon mousse for this tart is a simple lemon curd blended with a fairly equal portion of lightly whipped cream. I usually also fold in whipped egg whites for
an even lighter, more ethereal mousse when serving on its own. But for this tart, I keep it basic and slightly more substantial.

If you love lemon and the combination of creamy and crumbly,
this tart should fill the bill.

Bench notes:

- Acidic ingredients like lemon are likely to pick up a
metallic flavor and may also discolor if cooked in what's called "reactive" cookware. Aluminum, cast
iron and copper are reactive metals.
Stainless steel and glass are nonreactive.

- Lemon curd can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2
days. Store it in an airtight container.

- If you prefer a plain tart shell, elminate the sliced
almonds and use a total of 1 1/4 cups flour.

- Freezing the formed tart shells for one hour before baking
helps to eliminate shrinkage.

- If you’d like to make the lighter version of this mousse
on its own, make the lemon curd in the recipe. Then whip just 1/2 cup cream to soft peak.
Fold that into the lemon curd and refrigerate. Whip 2 egg whites with 1 tablespoon
of sugar to stiff peak. Fold into the
lemon curd and cream mixture, spoon into serving dishes and chill. As always, exercise caution when using raw egg
whites. They should not be served to
small children, pregnant women or individuals who are at risk due to compromised
immune systems.

Lemon Mousse Tartlets

Makes five 4” tartlets

Tart Dough

1 C flour

1/4 C (3/4 oz) sliced almonds

3 T sugar

1/4 t salt

zest of 1/2 lemon

4 oz (8 T) cold butter

1 egg yolk

Lemon Mousse

1/2 C lemon juice (about 3 – 4 lemons)

zest of 2 lemons

1/2 C sugar

2 egg yolks

1 egg

3 oz (6 T) butter

1 1/4 C heavy cream

2 T sugar

1/4 t vanilla

pistachios or sliced almonds, finely chopped for garnish

Lightly grease five 4” tartlet pans with removable bottoms.

Place the flour, almond slices, sugar, salt and lemon zest in the bowl
of a food processor and process to combine. Cut the cold butter into 1/2”
pieces and add. Pulse until some of the
butter is the size of oatmeal flakes.
Stir the yolk and add. Process for about 10 - 15 seconds until the dough begins to
form clumps. It will not be a smooth
dough. Press the clumps evenly and smoothly into
the bottom and sides of the tart pans.
Trim any excess from the top of the border. Freeze the formed tart shells for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the tart shells on a baking sheet. Bake until they are a light golden brown,
about 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

For the lemon curd, whisk the lemon juice, zest, sugar and eggs in a non-reactive
heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a
pan of low simmering water and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture
begins to thicken, about 3 – 5 minutes. Pour through a strainer into a bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and add a
few at a time, stirring to incorporate. Press a piece of plastic wrap into the
surface and set aside to cool. Refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the tartlets.

To prepare the lemon mousse, whip the cream with the sugar
and vanilla to soft peak. Fold into the lemon curd and refrigerate. When ready
to serve, dollop the lemon mousse into the tart shells and garnish with finely
chopped nuts.

Friday, May 3, 2013

How cool is it to discover you have a brand new favorite cookie? I just so happened to see this recipe featured on the ever-industrious Alice Medrich’s blog and right away I
knew I had to get to the kitchen and see for myself. And wow, am I glad I did. This is an incredibly delicious cookie, the
kind of cookie that I will make again and again because of the perfect
combination of flavors found in every bite.
It sort of reminds me of a hazelnut sable I used to make at a restaurant
only sturdier and made infinitely more interesting and much better with the use of olive oil instead of butter.

The ingredients for this beauty are simple. The cookie is built around the beautiful
flavor of hazelnuts and the complexity of good extra virgin olive oil. Add the perfect amount of sugar and the
saving grace of salt and you have a very elegant super crunchy cookie. It has a rustic appearance but I wouldn’t
hesitate to serve it after a special occasion dinner with a good wine or at a
champagne brunch with some fresh fruit of the season, like strawberries, apricots,
peaches or figs. I think you and your
guests will find a way to make another batch ASAP.

It sounds like Alice is knee deep in more book projects – how does she do it? – and this cookie is a glorious creation she developed in the midst of a moment of procrastination. All I can say is, let’s hear it for the way
she works!!

So, to sum up – I love the flavor, I love the texture and I
love how dangerously easy it is to make this. My new
favorite cookie.

Bench notes:

- Alice calls for raw hazelnuts but I used the toasted ones
I had on hand. The nuts should be skinned as much as possible.

Place the hazelnuts, flour, sugar, salt, and pepper in the
bowl of a food processor and pulse until the hazelnuts are finely chopped.
Drizzle in the olive oil. Pulse until the mixture looks like coarse
crumbs. Add the water and pulse just until the mixture resembles damp
crumbs and holds together when pinched.
It will not look like a smooth dough.
Add extra water if necessary.

Gather the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and press it
very firmly into a rectangle about 4” – 5” x 9” – 10” and 1/2” thick. Square the
edges and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Unwrap the chilled dough and place it on a cutting board.
Using a long sharp knife, cut the dough crosswise into 3/8” slices and place on
cookie sheets about 1” apart.

Bake 15-18 minutes until cookies are golden brown, rotating
baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back half way through the baking
time for even baking. Place the pans on
a wire rack to cool.